Improvement in bee-hives



t 1 -hlneinafter more fully shoWnand set forth. I

1ltntrutA elettive.

r tntrd tatr 'ERASMUS N1. snenpgfor THREE OAKS, MicHiGAN.

`LettersPatentNo.(95,151,1Zatcd September 211, 1869. Y

' IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HI'V'ES.

The Schedule i''ferred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

` To-,ull whom it may concern: r i Beit known that I, ERASMUS N. SHEDD, of Three Oaks, inthe county-of Berriemand State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulmprovement in Bee- Hives' and fI do hereby declare that the following is a true and accurate description' thereof, reference .be-

" Ving had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letective view of my hive with the The nature ofmy invention rclatesto an improved construction of bee-hives,l and consists in the employment of `a sliding-cap, provided with a central com-v partment for containing the usual cap-boxes, its door being provided with a grated opening'for Ventilatingpurposes, andfis so arranged, that when the honeyr boxes are removed from vsaid compartment, the 'bees "may be driven therein, and there retained, while-'the n the general arrangement `of its various parts,.as

A represents the exteriorof my hive, provided with "the door A on its rear side, in the bottom of iwlrich 'door is the opening a, provided with any convenient meansfor closing the saine, for the' purposes of clean-- ing the oor of the hive, and increasing the` 'for ventlatingthehive.

'b isthe entrance to the hive for the bees'. I Atthe `rear side of the hive, within. the door A', is 'plfaeed :a movable glazed` frame, f are placed the frames O, resting on inward-projecting pins, d.,A ,The sides of these frames are wider than their tops, b

position, a groove, c,v will be `left between them, as `shown in iig. 4.@ The purpose in so constructing these `.sides beingto separatethe frames from `one another,

facilities and preventthe bees, in forming the combs, from at- `taching them together. i

The lass door B, heretofore referred to, enables the bee-keeper to watch the 'formationof thecomb in the lower hive, and `observe the condition -of the bees. f

" D is a'c'ap, of` greater breadth than the bodyof the hive, its sides over-hanging and resting upon a shelf,

cap is slid back, uncovering the hive below; likewise B, and within the hiv-'e' evelled to an edge, so that when placed in c, projecting from each side of the hive, and is held in position by guides, f, embracing the edges of said shelves, so that the cap may slide back and uncover' the interior of the hive, as shown in outline, iig. 3.

The cap is provided with a central compartment, y,

whose partitions form, with the outer side walls of the lcap D, two additional compartments, one at each side, over the shelves,: for the receptionof the cap-boxes h, provided with the usual openings for` the ingress of i the bees, and are lled with combs in the usual manner. Y

r1 he rear ot' the' cap is provided with doorsE, for closing the same, and to give access to the boxes contained in the cap, which boxes are glazed at one as shown.

The compartment in cap D 'is further closed with an interior door or cover, g. f

h are boxes, provided with openingsin their bottoms, and placed in the central compartment, the bees 'having access to said boxes through openings e' in the floor of the compartment, from the hive below. The oor ,of said compartment is'further provided with grated openings, j, in` ai space left between the boxes, for the purpose hereinafterdescribed.

' The operation of honeyn1aking in the lower hive .is-carried on in the usual manner, as also in the boxes h. hen it is desired to'remove the honey in the frames, the boxes h', in the central` compartment, are, removed, and said compartment closed by the cover g. The bees are then driven, by smoke or other l propenmeans', into the 'empty compartmeuh-aud the openings tare closed by any proper slide, the grated f l openings j affording ven the egressof the' bees. The cap D is then slid back, when the frames may 4he removed without danger of breaking the combs, and the hive `refilled withv empty nnAsMUs u. sueno,

Witnesses: l, I

WILLIAM H. Beaver,

EvALoN E. SHEDD.

end,

til-ation to, -while it prevents frames, when the-cap, replaced in itsproper position, 

